On Location

Leo going solo.

I re-arranged my Flickr sets today, and as I pored over the photographs from the last three years I was struck by how bad some of my initial efforts were. Unfortunately, some of the more recent ones stuck out as well, and it struck me that my biggest issues are lighting and setting, two of the three key components of a photograph (the third being the subject). I thought I'd pay a little attention to this for today's post...

Leader in blue!

It's unfortunate that I don't have room to store different sets, much less the time to build them nowadays, and a cluttered house doesn't really cut it as a backdrop when photographing 1:18 scale figures. Fortunately though, as fantastical as Star Wars is, if you live near a swamp, woodland, desert or beach, or even some destitute scrub land, you've got the ideal setting for your action figure photographs. Although living in the middle of the UK isn't ideal for a desert or beach, it more than does the job when looking at Dagobah or Endor...

BTS: The glory of cropping!

But what about the urban heroes? Northampton really isn't much of a cityscape, the lift tower being the sole defining feature of the skyline, and if I struggle with building a set for something fictional, I think I'd really mess up a scale recreation of an NYC rooftop. So how best to photograph them? Why, multistory car parks, of course!

Miles Morales...

I frequently try and find a lighting set-up that works best for me at home, in the lightbox or otherwise, but hands down using natural light is the best. The colour balance looks right, and if you pick a  good spot (somewhere open but out of direct sunlight) the lighting is crisp and even across the subject. Occasionally you may need to use a reflector to get the light to go exactly where you need it, but you should be fine without. Also, the more light that is available, the less your camera has to compensate by auto-filling information. This is what happens when dark pictures appear grainy; there's not enough information for the camera to create a whole picture, so it fills in the gaps itself. It's always better to shoot light and darken the image in post, if needs be.

...the Ultimate Spider-Man!

A car park fits the bill of being somewhere open but out of direct sunlight, and provides a gritty and urban setting for our more 'street' figures, with a view across the rooftops to boot. Furthermore during the day the higher-up levels of the car park are rarely used, providing all the privacy a grown man playing with toys in public needs!

Ninja Protector!

It's not perfectly to scale, but the car park fits the bill well enough, and it's nice to finally have somewhere to play with capture my superhero figures at work. What's even better is that I'm finally starting to get the quality of photograph that I've been after since I started. Onwards and upwards, I suppose...

Good luck with your own on location shooting, and thanks for reading!

VC103: 'Realistic' Clone Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi Review

Knight of the not-as-old Republic!

A Clone Wars Obi-Wan would've been slightly less enthusiastically received by me at 8 years old than a Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker, but only slightly - that's not to take anything away from Sir Alec Guiness' depiction of Old Ben, but more so about the mystery of the man who became Darth Vader. Anyway, whilst the Prequels did whatever they did to the Star Wars franchise, one positive was that by Revenge of the Sith, Ewan McGregor had finally got a handle on how to play Obi Wan Kenobi, which in turn gave the film its more enjoyable moments. Following on from how good the Vintage Collection Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker was, this seemed like an appropriate purchase...

The Packaging

VC103

The packaging follows the standard Vintage Collection template, with the Clone Wars TV series logo in the place of the episode title. The picture is of Clone Wars-armoured Obi Wan Kenobi with a Ewan McGregor likeness in a pretty nifty Geonosis-esque war zone - clones and a Republic Gunship fill the dusty background. I like this; it's more exciting than the Anakin Skywalker card, and even some of the pictures on the movie figure cards. As with all TVC figures it features the Kenner logo in the bottom left, and the back of the card is covered by a boring multi-lingual sticker.

As shown here, he's packed with a lightsaber and a lightsaber hilt. Pretty minimal, but short of a helmet I'm not really sure what else he could've come with.

The Good

General Kenobi & Troops

First and foremost, the sculpt is fantastic. As soon as I pulled it out of the blister I was impressed with the weight of the figure and the sturdiness of the joints (with the exception of the wrists, which I'll come to). Straight away I was able to get Obi-Wan into various Jedi-like poses, and as well as having great joint movement (the shoulder pads share the same under-the-armour trick as the Anakin figure), I was also able to get him to stand in those poses. I don't know if it's the weight of the figure or that it shares some SA Clone Trooper DNA in the legs, but it's really well balanced. 

I'm a fan of the Clone Wars character designs anyway, but I find this figure really visually appealing. It features the best integration of soft goods and sculpted robes I've seen yet with the skirt, which is trimmed and fixed perfectly to allow for full leg movement without billowing. The Republic Jedi crest on the shoulder pad is crisp and brings a nice dash of colour to the armour, which is otherwise splattered with war zone dust (presumably from the same locale as is featured on the cardback). The belt features two pouches and a port for the lightsaber hilt, something that was notably absent on Anakin.

Guardian of Peace and Justice...

The Bad

Easy Now...

When I've seen the figure online I've never been sure if it's boss-eyed or not - since getting it in hand, I've realised it all depends on your point of view, quite literally. The right is on the donk, but viewed from the left or straight on it's really not that noticeable. Since the head sculpt is in general very good (even going as far as to include his forehead bump), I'd say it's not a huge issue. For such an EU figure, I find the dust a bit scene specific, but that doesn't bother me too much - it's more the way it's been kind of slopped on in parts that I'm not as keen on.

As I noticed when I pulled it out of the packet, and again when fixing the lightsaber, the swivel wrists do feel quite weak and as such I'm going to avoid too many two-handed duelling poses. As these are bona-fide collectors pieces rather than simple toys (like there's really a distinction...) I think all but the most heavy handed should be OK; either way, I'm still going to be careful!

Ready for (Clone) War!

The Verdict

If you have a Clone Wars-era display, or any interest in the time frame between Episodes 2 & 3, then this is the Obi-Wan Kenobi for you. I gave the VC92 Anakin Skywalker figure a five star review and this guy's even better - that can only mean he also gets top marks.

*****

The Hunt

I've been a bit stifled by a lack of variation in my locations recently, and so today I took a trip out to the park with some 'friends'. I have a few shots that require a bit of post production, but otherwise the most successful pics were these ones of Boba Fett. It was nice to get out for a while, and it's given me the extra impetus to get some shots I've wanted to get for a while now. Hopefully tomorrow will be more of the same!

Happy New Year all, and thanks for reading!

Un-Boxing Day

I hope you've all had a great Christmas! In particular I hope you've managed to spend time with family and loved ones, as that's what it's all about. And if not this time, then there's always next year...

This is just a quick post to say hello, offer my seasonal regards and to highlight how much toy blogging I need to catch up on following an insanely busy December. To provide a quick visual snapshot, here are all the toys I have to photograph and review. At the time of this photograph (roughly 40 minutes ago), they weren't even opened!

What? No Transformers?!

Okay, so the Landspeeder had been opened. But as I've had no time to use it for anything over than a handful of photos, and needed the space for normal people things, it's since been boxed back up and left untouched. The Stormtrooper is my latest 'Vintage 12' appropriation, and the Turtles, well... Entertaining cartoon, stylish toys, and a mighty ten on the nostalgia scale - these have been a must-buy since I first saw them earlier this year. Only a Donny and Raph required to complete the four!

Told you I'd be coming back to these guys...

And so (roughly 30 minutes ago), that's Leonardo out of the box. Immediate first impressions are decent articulation, great sculpt and a fun figure, but I'll be back with a full review in a few days. As I now have a (slight) break from Uni for the next few weeks, I'm pretty hopeful the others will follow suit in the new year.

Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!

VC92: ‘Realistic’ Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker Review

Here’s a release that would be pretty much tailored for an eight-year old me. Whilst there have been several iterations of the Clone Wars Anakin, they’ve almost all been in the ‘animated’ style – an acquired taste, to be sure. This is the first figure in Hasbro’s move to release Clone Wars figures in a ‘realistic’ style, more akin to the film-based lines, and was followed by a Clone Wars-style Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano. From the concept up (my friends and I used to imagine endlessly what the Clone Wars were like and how Anakin Skywalker was as a Jedi), this figure was a must-buy for the collection…

The Package

The Vintage Collection packaging is a great look for the Star Wars line, and Anakin Skywalker is no different. The Clone Wars logo from the TV series is used, but the image is a photo-realistic portrait of Hayden Christensen in Clone Wars attire against a Coruscant-esque backdrop. The Kenner logo is present on the bottom of the card, and Anakin is packed with his lightsaber and saber hilt on display. As with all European releases, the back of the card is covered by a boring multi-lingual sticker.

The Figure

Anakin Skywalker comes with 14 points of articulation, a lightsaber and a lightsaber hilt. His look is based upon the 2008 Clone Wars film, with the stylish red, blue and brown armour. He wears a four piece soft-goods skirt.

The Light Side

First of all, the figure looks very cool. Anakin’s Clone Wars armour always had a good look to it, and is a refreshing change to the usual Jedi-in-robes look. The facial sculpt resembles Hayden Christensen enough to pass (although it could also be used for Edward Norton), and the lines in the armour and folds in the fabric are very well done. The proportions are spot-on, and despite the small, in-scale, feet, he can balance very well – no stand required!

The joints allow a great deal of posability, which is a massive plus point. The balance is such that the legs can be posed in an action stance whilst still standing up, which is important for an action figure. The ball-jointed shoulders are a good step forward for Hasbro – previously, we’ve seen shoulder pads restrict arm movement, but on Anakin Skywalker, the shoulder pads actually slide under the body armour, leading to a much greater degree of movement. The skirt works really well, matching the colours of the paint apps and actually being quite posable.

The Dark Side

One of the first things I noticed out of the package was that Anakin Skywalker is slightly hunched – it’s not a huge problem in most poses, but it’s there. Another half-criticism is about the points of articulation – swivel hips rather than ball-joints and the lack of upper torso articulation might be a negative to some, but in all honesty the figure has all the articulation it needs, and looks as good as it could.

One definite change I would make would be a hole in the belt to hang the lightsaber hilt from, but that’s it. There’s really not much wrong with this figure.

On Balance

This is a fine toy, and one that’s been a long time coming. Regardless of your opinions of the Clone Wars series, I’m sure that the idea of a Jedi Anakin Skywalker appeals to Star Wars fans young and old, and this time round Hasbro have nailed it. An unreserved five star figure!

*****

Watching Them Escape

I'm thoroughly enjoying the Blu-Ray ESB figure pack, and today can introduce the Snowtrooper to the Blog. I still have to take some shots of the Princess Leia, which is an excellent looking figure, but will get around to that when I'm feeling a bit more wintery. I think building a suitable set for her could take some time as well...

I went a slightly different way to usual with this shot, as it was a black and white image that I've edited a fair amount. As always, Vader's cloak needed some touching up to look heavier, and I added the lights to his chest plate. Otherwise the blue tint was achieved by lowering the colour temperature and increasing the saturation. I think it's worked out alright; for sure it's made Vader's armour look great!

Running into Trouble...

I posted this on my Flickr photostream, but the colour temperature was much colder, so I fixed it for here. Not sure which version I prefer now... :S

Film-making is taking over my life currently, which is probably why this photo has such a cinematic treatment. I'll update when I can!

I Am Ready!

I already thought it would be interesting, but now I'm finding the announcement of the Sequel Trilogy just plain inspiring. Star Wars influenced and inspired me hugely growing up, and it's fair to say that without the original film series I wouldn't have the passion for film-making that I do today. I've already been at film school for over a year and was fully intending to start work in the industry afterward anyway, but Tuesday's announcement (on my birthday, no less) seals it.

I will be working in the film industry when I finish my course. And I am going to do my level best to contribute, in whatever small way, to the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

It's on! :D

Point of Comparisons

Probably the best Star Wars shots I get are the ones that I directly base on stills from the films, and the best place to go for these are production or promo stills, because they might show a slightly different angle to what we're used to seeing. This is interesting in itself, but also because when you're not enslaving yourself to exact screen accuracy, you can roll with the picture a little bit more. Case in point...

I wanted to get some shots of my new Boba Fett figure in action, and I've also wanted to do something Bespin related for a while - an easy two birds with one stone. After a quick Google and a shifty through several images, I settled for this one:

Hardly accurate, I'm sure you'll agree. But the point is, I got my inspiration for the shoot; and after trying several unsuccessful times this morning to get decent pictures of Boba in the bag, it's nice to finally get him up here!

Anyway, there'll be more pictures and a review of Boba Fett and the rest of the ESB Blu Ray pack up soon, before I crack into ROTJ. Exciting times!

Cutting It Down to Size

As it's the beginning of study week, I've been able to take an hour or so and crack open the ESB Blu Ray pack. Well, I say crack open the pack; so far I've only punched Snowspeeder Luke out of the blister! That's not for any negative reasons though; in fact it's quite the opposite - this guy is awesome! Further to that, when POTF2 was released, this Luke was the first figure I bought, closely followed by R2 D2, and they became the focal point of most of my adventures. As such, it was nice to re-create the feeling for a little while before getting overwhelmed with Boba Fetts and Princess Leias...

Anyway, I made a little set, messed around with the lighting and got a few shots. There weren't any where I thought straight away 'that's it!', which is normally a troubling sign, but there were enough maybes to work with, so I got the images onto my computer and produced the picture above. Now, I like it - the pose works, the shadows on Luke are nice, the composition is solid - but I was just bugged by the shadow on the wall. And that's the problem: because of that shadow, you know that's a wall. Instant scene killer. The solution?

Well, how about a drastic crop?

By re-centering and trimming the image, I turned a flawed scene into what I think is a decent portrait. It may not be what I had in mind when I broke Luke out tonight, but it's still the best shot I think I could've got, and highlights the detail of this excellent figure.

Striking Back!

It's the OTC Luke and Yoda again! But deservedly so I say, because if ever a day warranted some Dagobah shots, it's today - misty, damp; it's Autumn hitting full speed, that's for sure...

Fond as I am of these two figures, there's another reason I'm getting all Empire on you:

This is one of the five Blu Ray Commemorative Packs that finally arrived yesterday after a hold-up in customs. In one bargain purchase, I've doubled my Star Wars figure collection; exciting times indeed! I'll probably sell off the prequel sets to recoup the cost, but I sure am excited about these guys now. Looking at the figures above, I find myself thinking the unthinkable: Roll on winter, roll on...

The Streets of Mos Eisley: Re-made!

Following the incident at the Cantina, the Droids aren't the only ones wanted by the Empire...

I'm working on a new display piece for my many Tatooine figures. The moisture vaporator is a key prop, although the 30th Anniversary Luke Skywalker it came with isn't as good as the one in the picture, which comes from the Blu Ray Commemorative A New Hope set (same as Obi Wan Kenobi, in fact). That's what I love about coming a bit later to the Star Wars party; at this point I can pick and choose the best versions of each character...

Ain't no-one taking Palpatine's moisture... *shudder*

The moisture vaporator is the one diorama piece that instantly makes a set indisputably Tatooine, and you could argue that it's not even convincingly Mos Eisley (or Anchorhead, or even Mos Espa) without it. Of course, a few more Sandtroopers, Droids, Aliens and Landspeeders wouldn't go amiss either, but everyone has a budget, which I've certainly blown for a few months with my latest haul (not the vaporator - exciting news to follow, pending shipping :D)! This set is still very much a work in progress; but I have plenty of photos for a making-of when it's finally done. Just a shame I still can't decide for sure between set-building for photography, and diorama creation for display...

Ran Into Some Old Friends - Redux

Another quick post today, with the fruits of a hastily-planned and executed photo shoot. This is my second version of this shot (the first is available here), with one key difference - I finally have the VOTC Leia! That means I'm two-thirds of the way to my goal of getting the best modern iterations of the vintage 12.

Even here the Leia sculpt isn't an amazing likeness to Carrie Fisher, but astoundingly this is the best currently on offer. Still, I'm sure there'll be a decent one released by the time ANH is re-re-released in 3D.

So, that'll be 2015 then...

Luxury of Choice

I had a spare hour yesterday and knew I wanted to get some SW shots, although I had no idea of what. When I saw these guys on my shelf, everything kinda fell into place...

So, Star Wars. It had been a while. As much as I've enjoyed the Transformers shots recently, I've not taken any that I've been really happy with, and my interest has started to wander from the Robots in Disguise. Only for the time being, I should hasten to add - I'll be a lifelong fan, but a recent interest in Indiana Jones saw me drawing back into the world of Lucasfilm; really, this was inevitable!

I was messing around with some different lighting for these shots, experimenting with shadows and composition, but when I started to touch up the images this morning it was the more broadly lit pictures that I preferred, which surprised me. I think I'm starting to get the hang of editing shots, but as my last TF batch showed, maintaining consistency is hard. The main thing I've realised over the last few days is that I keep repeating mistakes, which I think comes from trying to rush and do shoots on the fly - basically, not being committed enough. What really helped me with this shoot was that I devoted some time to it, and got lots and lots of pictures, and tried different things as well. When I looked through the shots this morning I was surprised by which ones I preferred, but then, I gave myself that luxury of choice.

Just Where Do You Think You're Going?

"You're fortunate he doesn't blast you into a million pieces right here" - Really, 3PO?

Quick post here. I didn't think too much about the practicality of this little Tatooine backdrop when I made it, because if I had, I would definitely have made it bigger. Of course, had I made it bigger, then I'd no longer have any excuses for not owning a TVC Landspeeder. ..

Imperial Navy Commander Review

In my quest to get the best modern iterations of the 'Vintage 12' Star Wars figures, there are two that I wasn't as keen on purchasing - the Tusken Raider, and this guy, the Death Squad Commander Star Destroyer Commander Death Star Trooper Imperial Navy Commander. Both are army builders, sure, but they're not as important characters as, say, Darth Vader, or the elusive VOTC Leia, right? However, I found the figure on Ebay going far cheaper than I'd seen previously, and took the opportunity to get 7/12ths there. Did he match my expectations? Read on for the verdict, true believer...

The Package

I don't normally care too much for the packaging (these things are meant to be opened, right?), but in the case of the Vintage Collection I have to make an exception. The updated retro look is much loved by the fans, and I'll personally be sorry to see it go for however long it's on hiatus.

As per all European releases we get the sticker over the back of the box, telling us to celebrate the saga in several languages, rather than showing us the rest of the line that won't be available in a toy shop near you. I always liked cardbacks because they gave you information on the character, and in some cases acted as a checklist for the other figures in the line. I know the latter isn't necessary in these internet days, but still, where's the fun in a multi-lingual sticker? Anyway, I digress. Let's see what the Imperial Navy Commander looks like freed from his plastic cell...

The Figure

He's here in full black Imperial garb, looking for all intents and purposes like an Imperial Officer with a different hat on. He has a ball-jointed neck, shoulders, elbows, knees and feet, with swivel wrists, waist and legs. He comes with a removable hat and gun, with working holster, and I'm sure you'll agree that the overall look is pretty slick.

The Positives

This guy's sculpt is nearly flawless - the proportions are spot on, which is a bonus for a character with a removable helmet, the creases in the uniform combine with the material of the plastic to give the suit a real sheen, and the holster works really well. The poseability from the waist up is superb, and the INC can make all the poses required to re-create their appearances in the film. The sculpt of the head under the helmet is really well done as well, and kudos to Hasbro for even making the helmet removable in the first place. I'm not a customiser myself, but I'm sure this guy will go down a treat with those who are. The torso and collar also looks good for a Jedi Luke, if anyone really wanted to cannibalise it!

The Not-so-Positives

The lack of ball-jointed hips and the narrow stance really kill this figure. He can't stand up! Well, not without much cajoling and enough forward weight to balance him. It's a real annoyance considering that this could've been a great figure. I understand that ball jointed hips are expensive - but if you can't use them, at least make sure the alternative works. Other than that (pretty major) gripe, the only other flaw I can find is that both his hands are in trigger-finger (or pointing) positions. I don't remember these guys being armed to the teeth or making many accusations, so maybe one relaxed hand would've been better, but it doesn't affect my overall enjoyment or use of this figure.

Overall

This is an excellent effort for a background, army-builder figure let down by only one key flaw. Still, the Detention Block playset (where this guy will mainly be residing) has foot pegs, and if you display with stands then you'll find no issues whatsoever. So, in a word? Solid.

***

Death Star

Another quick shot, messing around with lighting. This uses the Death Star hallway set I made, although as you can probably tell, it comes up a little tight for the figures. It gives nice shadows though, and generally works more than well enough for what I use it for (shots like these and general display).

You may have seen the above on my Flickr. This shot uses the same set, and pretty much the same angle as the one above. Versatile set design, see? :D

Been looking into finishing off my modern day equivalent vintage 12 back collection (that's a mouthful of a focus title!), as soon as I can justify the funds. Until then, these guys will do nicely!

Friends Reunited

TVC Yavin Ceremony Han Solo arrived last week, and what a figure it is! Most likely my favourite of the new style figures I've been acquiring, and I'm sure that's due to more than just novelty - it's a sturdy figure, a good sculpt with crisp detailing, and it's several hundred miles better than the POTF2 version I had been using. Plus, put him together with Chewie and you have an instant smuggler display!

An updated Leia and C-3PO to go before I have definitive versions of all the main characters; a Stormtrooper, Tusken Raider, Jawa and Death Star Commander to go until the original 12 update is complete... I'll probably cool my boots for a little while and enjoy what I've got, but it's nice to have focus!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the Mos Espa Collection, 2012 (+13 days). The viewing figures for the site have actually been immense over the last two months, for whatever reason, so I figured you may like to read a post that isn't merely holding station for images... So, new acquisitions!

I guess this is the New Hope collection. Well, minus a Han, Chewie, Leia, C-3PO, Stormtrooper and all those other irrelevant characters :D... These and my OTC Dagobah set are the only non-POTF2 modern figures I have, and the temptation to open these is huge. But! The Vader is unpunched and sealed in a starcase. I don't exactly know what that means for it as a collectible, but it does look nice, and, let's face it, the packaging is one of the biggest draws of the Vintage Collection (if you know of any significance about ol' Darth being packaged like this, please let me know in the comments).

So, I think this might be the first time in my life I'll buy two of a figure to keep one carded. To make that argument ten times harder than it would be though, check out this review of the Vintage Collection Darth Vader over at Chase Variant, a rather excellent toy review blog I came across recently.

The Episode IV Blu-Ray pack is a different prospect. As much as I'd love to open the package and start populating a Jundland Wastes display, as well as framing the nifty mini-poster, this set was bought before I'd properly consulted my finances post-student loan installment. As such, these are staying boxed until I get part-time work, or else I'll have to sell them on to eat come April! Sad times... But a nice looking set all the same.

And finally, because this wouldn't be a Mos Espa collection blog post without an action figure shot...

You may have seen this on my Flickr. Photographing vintage figures isn't going to be a new direction for me, but this guy is in honour of my upcoming weekend catching up with old friends and playing X-Wing vs TIE Fighter until the small hours of Sunday morning. Being geeky may be, y'know, geeky, but it's also incredibly fun :D